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Researching and Citing Academic Literature

Faculties: AC, AMP, AR, BI, EFI, IN, MB/VS, SOH, VT, WT

When doing academic work, you don’t start from scratch — you build on existing knowledge. You acquire this knowledge by studying the relevant literature, which you then cite properly when you use it.

Evaluating the literature is one of the core competencies of academic work.

Therefore, it is not only legitimate to review and cite the relevant literature, but you are explicitly encouraged to do so.

You explicitly refer to sources in your text,

  • to support your presentation,
  • to show that you have taken note of the relevant academic literature,
  • to enter into a dialogue with other researchers, e.g. by building on what has been said, taking an opposing position, or combining different statements,
  • to allow readers to verify or further explore what you have written.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my literature research important?

Evaluating the literature is one of the core competencies of academic work. It is legitimate and also required to review and cite the relevant literature.

What benefit do my references have for others?

By referring to sources, you enter into a dialogue with your readers and give them the opportunity to verify or further explore what you have written.

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Search for the origin of the knowledge and, if possible, quote from the original texts. A distinction is made between sources that are citable and sources that are worth citing. Citable sources Citable are all sources that are permanently and publicly accessible. Lecture notes are generally not considered scientific publications, as they are not publicly …

Faculties: AC, AMP, AR, BI, EFI, IN, MB/VS, SOH, VT, WT

Contributors: Autorengruppe Leitfaden efi, Maria Noll, Schreibzentrum, Dzifa Vode, Dennis Christoph Wolff

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Improving Your Literature Search

OPAC With the help of the OPAC, the university’s digital library catalog, the entire print and digital collection of the TH Nuremberg library can be searched. Searches can be conducted both by formal criteria (such as authors or titles) and by content-related aspects (including keywords or subject terms). Via the tab “Union Catalog/Interlibrary Loan”, you …

Faculties: AC, AMP, AR, BI, EFI, IN, MB/VS, SOH, VT, WT

Contributors: Autorengruppe Leitfaden efi, Maria Noll, Schreibzentrum, Dzifa Vode, Dennis Christoph Wolff

This article was published in August 2025 and last updated in November 2024.

Faculties: AC, AMP, AR, BI, EFI, IN, MB/VS, SOH, VT, WT

Contributors: Autorengruppe Leitfaden efi, Maria Noll, Schreibzentrum, Dzifa Vode, Dennis Christoph Wolff

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